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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179243">Familia Mereris</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sarcastic_Witch/pseuds/The_Sarcastic_Witch'>The_Sarcastic_Witch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Familia Vos Partum [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Because They Absolutely Were In Canon), Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Hermione Granger, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, BAMF Ron Weasley, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Good Severus Snape, Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley Friendship, Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter Friendship, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Light Angst, Lily Evans Potter &amp; Severus Snape Friendship, Morally Grey Albus Dumbledore, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Harry Potter, POV Severus Snape, POV Third Person Limited, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:41:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sarcastic_Witch/pseuds/The_Sarcastic_Witch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where Lily knew of Severus' change of heart, a slip-up in the middle of class reveals a long-hidden truth that might grant two lonely boys a family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter &amp; Severus Snape, Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley, Lily Evans Potter &amp; Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall &amp; Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall &amp; Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Familia Vos Partum [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. In Which Severus and Harry Both Learn Something New</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello lovely readers!<br/>Welcome to yet another WIP I really shouldn't be starting! Here, we have a must for every Severus Snape lover: The Severitus fic. I hope I can do the trope justice here. This story is based off of the premise of and the relationship Severus and Harry have in His Mother's Son, so go read that if you haven't already. (It's pretty short. I'll wait.) So, the main change to canon I'm making here is that Severus went and told Lily about his change of heart in the First War Against Voldemort, and that's all I'm going to tell you! I have a lot of ideas for this series, so I hope y'all enjoy!<br/>Yours in fandom,<br/>The Sarcastic Witch<br/>Edit: I just changed the title from His Mother's Brother to Familia Mereris (Latin for The Family You Deserve)</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Severus discovers that he's been lied to about something very important, many secrets long hidden come to light. POV Harry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            It was December of Harry’s Third Year, and he was <em>exhausted</em>. He’d been up all night worrying about Black and had barely gotten thirty minutes of sleep, which did not bode well for potion-making. Propping his head up on his hand, he noticed his potion had turned a rich burgundy, meaning it was time to add the valerian roots. Yawning, he went to drop the roots in when he felt a hand roughly grab his.</p><p>            “Potter! That’s stink sap! If you add it now, your potion will turn to acid and explode all over you! What in Merlin’s name is the matter with you? Are you really this much of an idiot?!” shrieked Professor Snape.</p><p>            “Sorry, Aunt Petunia,” Harry mumbled, then froze. <em>Oops</em>. Professor Snape dropped the vial with a crash of breaking glass. He didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>            “Did you just say Petunia?” he asked Harry in a quiet, dangerous voice. Confused, Harry nodded. Seeming to realize they weren’t alone, Professor Snape stood and glared at the students that were staring at them in shock. “Everybody but Evans, Weasley, and Granger, OUT!” In what seemed like seconds, the room cleared. Professor Snape conjured a chair and sat down across from Harry and Hermione’s worktable.</p><p>            “Evans. How do you know Petunia?”</p><p>            “Uhm, I live with her.”</p><p>            “WHAT?!” Professor Snape sprung to his feet, eyes flashing black fire. “You’re telling me that you live with that vile woman?” Harry repressed a grin at Professor Snape’s rather apt description of Aunt Petunia.</p><p>            “Yeah, since my parents died.” Professor Snape took a deep breath.</p><p>            “Evans, exactly who are your guardians?”</p><p>            “My Aunt Petunia and my Uncle Vernon. Do you know them?” Professor Snape’s upper lip curled.</p><p>            “Yes, I have had the misfortune. I’m going to ask you a few questions because it seems I have been…misinformed of some things and I know the type of person Petunia is. Have either of them ever struck you?"</p><p>            “Not that much, especially now. Only when I’m really bad.” Hermione made a small noise and Harry looked at her in confusion.</p><p>            “What did being really bad entail?”</p><p>            “Umm, before I learned about being a wizard, when I would make weird things happen.”</p><p>            “Excuse me, you weren’t aware you were a wizard?”</p><p>            “No, I didn’t know anything about magic until Hagrid came to give me my letter.” Professor Snape looked as though he’d like to snap someone’s neck. He took a deep breath.</p><p>            “When they struck you, would they use their hands or an object?”</p><p>            “Aunt Petunia just used her hands.” Harry was getting a bit uncomfortable. Uncle Vernon had made it very clear he wasn’t supposed to talk about his punishments, but to be honest, Harry feared the wrath of Professor Snape a lot more than that of his uncle.</p><p>            “Ev-Harry, what about your uncle?”</p><p>            “Well, um, he sometimes used a switch,” Harry mumbled, staring at his shoes.</p><p>            “A switch?”</p><p>            “Like he’d cut a branch off one of the bushes.”</p><p>            “I see. What would he do with it?”</p><p>            “I don’t really know what you mean, sir. He’d smack me, I guess. You know, like on the back?”</p><p>            “I see. He’d strike you on the bum with a branch?”</p><p>            “No, on the back. Like, you know in the movies with the horses and the carriages? Only when I really deserved it though.” Ron had gone pasty white and there were bright spots of color high on Hermione’s cheeks. She rushed forward and threw her arms around Harry.</p><p>            “Harry James Potter, don’t ever let me hear you say you deserved anything like that ever again!” Before Harry could ask her what was wrong, Professor Snape laid a surprisingly gentle hand on Hermione’s arm.</p><p>            “Miss Granger, I understand this is upsetting, but you need to control yourself. If you cannot, I must ask you to step out.” Hermione stepped back and sat next to Ron. “Was it ever uncomfortable to lie down after?”</p><p>            “Yeah, I mean, isn’t that the point of a special punishment? To be lasting?” Professor Snape shook his head and sighed.</p><p>            “Moving on. We have established your uncle beat you with a branch, leaving lasting and painful marks, on more than one occasion, correct?” 

</p><p>            “Yes,” Harry confirmed, still confused as to what the big deal was.</p><p>            “What about your Aunt Petunia? Did she ever strike you?”</p><p>            “Sometimes. Just with her hand, whenever I did something kind of bad, like burn the bacon.”</p><p>            “Burn the-Tabling that for the moment. Did she strike you with a closed hand, like a punch, or an open hand, like a slap?”</p><p>            “Like a slap.”</p><p>            “Where would she slap you?”</p><p>            “On the face?”</p><p>            “You said you got in trouble if you burned the bacon. Are you always the one who cooks breakfast?”</p><p>            “I’m usually the one to cook everything except for the really important stuff, since I was little.”</p><p>            “Does the rest of your family do the other chores?”</p><p>            “Uncle Vernon and Dudley don’t do anything and Aunt Petunia mostly just makes sure I do everything right.”</p><p>            “So, to be clear, your Uncle Vernon, on multiple occasions, beat you with a wooden stick like a horse because of bouts of accidental magic and your Aunt Petunia expected you to preform every single one of the chores, and if they weren’t to her satisfaction, she would slap you?” Hermione was fingering her wand and Ron was a delicate shade of green.</p><p>            “It sounds a lot worse than it actually is.”</p><p>            “I don’t care how it sounds. Is it true?”</p><p>            “Yes, sir.” Professor Snape sneered, but his eyes were sad.</p><p>            “A few more questions. You said beatings were only for when you were really bad. What is the usual punishment?”</p><p>            “Usually they’d just lock me in my cupboard and not let me out except for school, but now they lock me in my room.”</p><p>            “Your cupboard?”</p><p>            “Yeah. I slept in the cupboard under the stairs ‘til my first Hogwarts letter came.” A quill sitting on Professor Snape’s desk exploded.</p><p>            “I apologize for that, Evans. I haven’t lost control of my magic like that for years. Did they feed you when they locked you in your cupboard?”</p><p>            “I mean, I was technically not supposed to have food, but I’d sneak it after they’d go to sleep, and I figure they knew since I didn’t die…”</p><p>            “Did you often not have enough to eat?”</p><p>            “I guess? I’m usually allowed to eat what I burn, or if I don’t burn anything, Aunt Petunia gave me a little food?” Professor Snape looked utterly furious.</p><p>            “I’ve heard enough.”</p><p>             He strode over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He threw it into the fire and declared,</p><p>            “Hogwarts’ Headmaster’s Office!” The flames turned emerald green a Professor Snape gestured at the three students to step through. They did, and Harry found himself in a circular room, its walls covered with portraits. Professor Snape stepped next to him. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. He looked up at the group.</p><p>            “Ah, what can I do for you, my boys and Miss Granger?” Professor Snape’s lip curled and he stalked forward.</p><p>            “Don’t ‘my boy’ me, Albus! You went against Lily’s wishes, ignored my advice, and LIED TO ME FOR TWELVE YEARS ABOUT THE FATE OF LILY’S CHILD!” Professor Snape raged, getting louder and louder. “You told me he was with relatives! YOU LIED! Petunia Dursley is no relative of Harry Potter! She hasn’t been since she declared that she had no sister! You told me he was being treated well, to the point of being spoiled! Well, how shocking, YOU LIED! They beat him! They withheld food from him! THE GUARDIANS YOU CLAIM SPOILED HIM FORCED MY BEST FRIEND’S SON TO SLEEP IN A CUPBOARD FOR TEN YEARS, YOU ABOMINABLE OLD FOOL!” At this point, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were staring open-mouthed at the Professor as he raged against Dumbledore, who looked stricken.</p><p>            “Severus, he needed to be in the home of blood relatives of his mother for the protection his mother gave him to work. I thought he’d be safe from harm!”</p><p>            “Did you even bother to check on him?! No, because you would have known! This ends now, Dumbledore. Harry will not be returning to that house for an instant.” Hope stirred in Harry’s heart. Did he really mean it?</p><p>            “Severus, he needs the blood wards to be-“</p><p>            “Bugger the fucking blood wards! If I take this to court, and I will, I’ll win! I permitted you to allow this because I figured that he would be happier with one of James’ relatives than a former Death Eater, but I will allow this no longer! I was, am, and will always be, more Lily Evans’ sibling that Petunia ever was! And guess what! She knew, Albus! I became a spy for her, and I told her! She needed to have a godparent on her side, and therefore I AM HARRY POTTER’S GODFATHER AND I WILL NOT ALLOW MY GODSON TO BE ABUSED ONE SECOND LONGER!”</p><p>            “Wait, really? You’re my godfather?” Harry asked, something warm building in his chest. Professor Snape pulled up short, seeming to realize he and the headmaster were not alone.</p><p>            “Dumbledore, we will finish this conversation later. Weasley, Granger, go back to Gryffindor Tower. Evans and I need to have a conversation.” Ron and Hermione nodded and left, Hermione giving Harry’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Come along, Harry.” Professor Snape led Harry out of the office and through the gargoyle. “Right, I am going to take you to my private quarters. You will tell no one of this path, understood?” Harry nodded, a grin beginning to break out over his face. He finally had a family and he was gloriously, wonderfully free.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. In Which Harry Acquires Information and McGonagall Has Fun With Blackmail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Severus explains some things to Harry and fills McGonagall in. Harry and Severus alternating POV.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi lovely readers!<br/>Hello! On this lovely day we have a brand new chapter, which was posted as my birthday present to myself! (Well, really, your comments and kudos are really my present, but whatever!) Y'all, I am ASTOUNDED and AMAZED at the reception this story has gotten so far! Thank you so much to everyone who commented and left kudos, most especially to the amazing LightningStorm2003! I hope y'all enjoy!<br/>Yours in fandom,<br/>TSW<br/>P.S. This chapter is dedicated specifically to the lovely lokiwinners for their wonderful support on so many of my fics! Thank you so much for your constant encouragement, it means a lot!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Severus</span> </strong>
</p><p>              As he led Lily’s son up staircases, down corridors, and through hallways on the way to his quarters, Severus’ mind was running a mile a minute. <em>How much should I tell the child? Does he need to know all of my past, or just my relationship to him and Lily</em><em>?</em> He sighed, deciding to go for simplicity. Merlin knew the poor child had been put through enough today.</p><p>              Reaching the abandoned Transfiguration classroom that housed the entrance to his quarters, Severus pushed the door opened and strode over to the tapestry of a doe, then pressed his thumb to the animal’s nose. As always, the magic scanner identified his fingerprint and the tapestry melted into the door. Severus made a mental note to key Harry’s thumb in as he whispered the week’s password (Potato. Who would guess it?) to the snake-shaped knocker and the door swung open. He sunk into the nearest silver armchair and motioned to Harry to sit down in the other. He took a deep breath. <em>Here goes nothing.</em></p><p>              “Harry, what I said in Dumbledore’s office is true. I am your godfather. Before you wonder why I didn’t take custody of you when your parents died, know that, until two months ago, I had no idea that I had a godson and I believed that you were sent to some relation of your father, and, when I heard your mother was gone, I fell into a deep depression, and was certainly not fit to take custody of a baby. Again, had I known I was your godfather or that you had gone to Petunia, I would have fought for guardianship of you the second I was able. Do not <em>ever</em> believe it was because I did not want you, understand?” Harry nodded, eyes wide with wonder. “Good. Now, I’m sure you would like an explanation as to how and why your Potions professor is your godfather, yes?”</p><p>              “Yes, Sir.” Really, he could not be more Lily’s son. So gentle and respectful, just as she was.</p><p>              “Very well. However, you should know that, right now, I just going to give you a quick summary of my relationship to your mother. The reason I’m not explaining everything right now is twofold: Much has happened to you today and I do not wish to overwhelm you and I will need a bit of time to get my thoughts in order before I give you the whole story of my life. With that out of the way, I shall begin.” Severus took a deep breath and attempted to organize his thoughts.</p><p>              “I am your godfather because your mother, Lily, was my dearest, most beloved friend. She was less of a friend and more of a sister, really. She lived three houses up the street from my childhood home and we met at a playground when we were seven years old when I saw her doing accidental magic and told her she was a witch. She didn’t believe me at first, but eventually I convinced her and we became inseparable. We were the best of friends until our Fifth Year, when we had a falling out. We eventually reconciled around a year after we graduated Hogwarts. I assume that Lily made me your godfather at some point after that. A year after, the Dark Lord found your family and murdered your parents. I was told that you had gone to live with relatives. Given the fact that Dumbledore knew full well that Lily did not consider Petunia her sister and that Lily had explicitly stated that she did not want you to go into Petunia’s care, I assumed you went to relatives of your father. Given that I had no more obligations, I spiraled into a deep depression. I didn’t get out of bed for weeks. Eventually, with the help of Professor McGonagall, I found my way back to myself and Dumbledore insisted I become Hogwarts’ Potion Master. Once I was healthy enough, I wanted to visit you, but Dumbledore convinced me that your guardians didn’t wish to be reminded of your parents and that it would be safer for you if no one saw me consistently visiting the house of someone I had no connection to. Then, a few months ago, I came across and read Lily’s will and discovered that she had, unbeknownst to me, named me your godparent on her side.” Severus explained, looking intently at the boy with Lily’s eyes set in Potter’s face.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Harry</span> </strong>
</p><p>              Harry leaned back in his surprisingly comfortable armchair, mind whirling. This man, who had spent the last two and a half years seeing him at least once a week, only bothered to mention that he had loved Harry’s dead Mum like a sister now?! Harry had a creeping feeling that there was more to the story than what Professor Snape was telling, but, reminding himself that Professor Snape had never steered him wrong, Harry decided to trust him. On top of everything else, though, he was still reeling from the declaration that he didn’t have to go back to the Dursleys.</p><p>              “If I’m not going back to the Dursleys, where will I go?” Harry wondered aloud. Across from him, Professor Snape looked surprised and slightly affronted.</p><p>              “I was thinking,” his godfather (He had a godfather!) said slowly, “that you could stay with me. Only if you want to, that is. If you wish, I’m sure the Weasleys would welcome you in a heartbeat and I know Professor McGonagall would be glad to take you in, or-”</p><p>              “No!” interrupted Harry vehemently. “If you’re offering, I’d like to stay with you, Professor.” A small, pleased smile settled itself in the corner of Professor Snape’s mouth.</p><p>              “Very well. I’ll take you to Gringotts and the Ministry on Saturday to make it official. Just to be clear, you are consenting to me being your guardian, yes?” Harry nodded.</p><p>              “Yep!”</p><p>              “Good,” said Professor Snape, a real smile spreading across his face, matching the grin Harry was positive he was currently sporting. “I think that’s everything for now. I’m sure you want to talk things through with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, hmm?”</p><p>              “Yes, Sir,” Harry said, rising from his armchair. As he turned to the door, a thought struck him. “Sir? If you’re going to be my guardian, what should I call you?”</p><p>              “Well, I’m not going to make you call me Professor, and I’m not going to insult you by forcing you to call me Papa,” Professor Snape said, smirking. “You may call me Severus, but only when we’re alone. If you call me by my first name in class, I shall be quite irate, clear?”</p><p>              “Yes, Si-Severus,” Harry chirped, grinning.</p><p>              “Good. I trust that you know how to get to Gryffindor Tower from the Transfiguration corridor after two and a half years?” Harry nodded. “Lovely. Now shoo, I need to inform Minerva of today’s events.”</p><p>              “Good night, Severus,” Harry sing-songed as he pushed open the door.</p><p>              “Good night Sleep well.”</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Severus</span> </strong>
</p><p>              After the door closed behind Harry, Severus gave a deep sigh, took some floo powder, stuck his head into the green flames, and called for Minera’s office. The stern witch was the one who had forced him out of the deep depression he had fallen into after Lily died, and she had become and remained his best friend and closest confidant.</p><p>              Severus had hardly removed his head from the fire when the flames flared green and Minerva stepped gracefully through.</p><p>              “You don’t look very well, Severus. What’s going on?”</p><p>              “I don’t feel very well.” Severus answered, sinking back down into his armchair. He gestured for Minerva to sit on the other. “A lot of things have happened in the past hour. To summarize, I discovered Harry was with Petunia, against Lily’s <em>express</em> wishes, I discovered that Harry was being abused and neglected, I tore Albus a new one, and I explained my friendship with Lily to Harry. Oh, I almost forgot. I also decided to take custody of a thirteen year old.” Unperturbed as ever, Minerva crossed her ankles primly.</p><p>              “Explain.” So Severus did. As he spoke, Minerva’s eyes nostrils flared further and further. Once he finished the story, she rose wordlessly from her seat and stalked towards the door, fury clear in every swish of her robes.</p><p>              “Where are you going?” Severus asked warily as she yanked open the door.</p><p>              “To speak to the Headmaster,” she said in a deadly calm voice. Severus grinned and followed.</p><hr/><p>              Minerva marched towards the gargoyle that covered the entrance to the Headmaster’s office, Severus grinning as he trailed behind her.</p><p>              “Ice Mice!” she snapped at the stone figure, who took one look at her face and swung open so hard he hit the wall with a bang. The two professors reached the office in record time. Minerva strode in first.</p><p>              “Ah, Minerva! What can I do for...” Dumbledore paled a bit as he saw her face and Severus behind her.</p><p>              “ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE, YOU HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR!” she thundered, stomping toward his desk, grabbing his beard, and yanking his face toward hers. “This is the last bloody straw! You have ignored one abused child too many and I will allow it no longer! If you hadn’t brushed off poor Tom’s misery, there would probably be no You-Know-Who! If you had bothered to pay attention to the obvious signs of abuse from countless pureblood Slytherins, they would probably have never become Death Eaters! Moreover, it doesn’t even matter whether or not they would have gone bad! As a teacher, it was your duty to monitor children for signs, report any suspicions, and help abused children, for Godric’s sake! Moreover, as the Headmaster, your failings are even more reprehensible AND more potent! Your duty is to listen to and investigate reports of suspected abuse from teachers, be on the lookout yourself, and if a student begs you not to force them to go home for the summer, YOU CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOMETHING IS FUCKING WRONG, FOR MERLIN AND MORGANA’S SAKE!” Minerva let go of Dumbledore’s beard and grabbed his ear. “This time, I’ll allow you both to continue living and to keep your position, but since you’re acting like an irresponsible Sixth year, then, by Merlin’s pants, I’ll treat you like one!” she screeched, pulling him from the room by his ear.</p><hr/><p>              The next day, to the great disbelief of their housemates, the students in detention with McGonagall insisted that they had seen her dragging Professor Dumbledore into her office, hissing, “Remember, unless you want me to go to the <em>Prophet</em> with what you did to Mr. Potter, I would suggest obeying me! And just so you are aware, the only reason I am refraining from doing so is that I believe that you are capable of learning from your mistakes. First, you will be copying out passages from Newt Scamander’s book on how Obscuruses and Obscurials are created, and when you finish that, you will be writing ‘I will cease being a foolish, cruel old man and act like a competent headmaster.’ until I am satisfied that you are capable of doing so!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. In Which Harry Has Very Good Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello lovely readers!<br/>On this lovely day, I present you with a brand new chapter! (With three different POVs!) Thank you so much for all of your kind comments and kudos! This chapter goes specifically to the wonderful Nads for their wonderful, uplifting comments! FYI: Half past 18:00 is 6:30 pm. I hope you enjoy!<br/>Yours in fandom,<br/>TSW<br/>P.S. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In honor of that, I want to remind everyone that:<br/>1. Black Lives STILL Matter, and this incredibly important movement still needs support, which you can do at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019! (Just copy the link.)<br/>2. Fandom is a safe space. Do not bring hatred into it. Do not let others bring hatred into it. Whether it's hatred for a certain IRL kind of person, or just hatred for a specific fandom or ship, it is not okay, and has absolutely no place here. There is a very thick line between polite disagreement and hateful insults. Do not cross it, and call out people who do so.<br/>3. JKR is a TERF. That doesn't mean that Harry Potter isn't a wonderful, amazing thing. Don't let her hatred corrupt that which we love.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Ron</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>              As soon as they left Dumbledore’s office, Hermione let out a shriek of pure fury. She stomped down the hallway, practically spitting fire. Ron followed her, head whirling. How could he not have noticed what was happening to his best friend right under his nose?! The bars on Harry’s window last year, how skinny he was after every summer, it should have added up! Ron was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Hermione cursing the Dursleys.</p><p>              “Those loathsome SCOUNDRELS! Idiotic barbarians! Those horrid ninnies! Moronic apes! Those cruel, evil, BASTARDS! Sorry excuses for dog shite, unfit to lick manure off Harry’s boots!  Those, those, those MOTHERFUCKERS!” she snarled. Ron blinked in surprise, then grew even more solemn. If Hermione was calling people motherfuckers, things were very, very bad. All he could do was hope desperately that Snape would come through for Harry.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Harry</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>              As he left Prof-no, Severus’ office, Harry felt a confusing cocktail of different emotions. In less than an hour, he’d nearly gotten himself killed because of stupid Potions mistake, been interrogated about his home life, been told he had been abused, watched his favorite professor tear his headmaster a new one, learned his favorite professor had been his dead Mum’s best friend, learned that he had a godfather, learned said professor was his godfather, and (unofficially) been given a new guardian. He passed a window and glanced at the clock tower and was surprised to see it was only half past 1800. Looking up, he realized he was about to pass the library. Hermione would probably still be there. Decision made, he entered the library and quickly spotted a distinctive head of bushy hair bent over a table towards the back. Harry walked over.</p><p>              “Hermione?”</p><p>              “Hello, Harry. You okay?” Harry opened his mouth, then shook his head. Hermione gave him a gentle smile, gathered her things, motioned for him to follow her, and led him out of the library.</p><p>              “We should probably have this conversation in a more secluded area, yeah?” she said quietly.</p><p>              “Yeah.” He followed into a small room that Harry recognized as one of the studying nooks scattered across Hogwarts. Hermione sat down at a small table and Harry plopped down across from her.</p><p>              “Alright hon, what’s got you seeking the wisdom of the great Hermione Granger?” she asked.</p><p>              “Ugh, Mi, I don’t even know where to start. Since when have I been abused? Sin-”</p><p>              “You absolutely were abused, Har,” interrupted Hermione, “What your Aunt and Uncle did to you was absolutely unacceptable. Also, I looked it up. The Ministry of Magic defines child abuse as any form of maltreatment of a child or young person. Someone may abuse or neglect a child or young person by inflicting harm, whether using words, physical blows, spells, or anything else, willfully failing to prevent a child from coming to serious harm, or neglecting them. Har, I know it’s difficult to hear, but your mother’s biological sister and her husband did all of those things to you. What they did was NOT ok, and I’m truly sorry I didn’t realize what was going on sooner.” Harry stared at his shoes. When Hermione laid it all out like that, it was hard to refute. Maybe he had been abused.</p><p>              “It’s okay, Mi. Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking about that. What I really wanted to talk to you about was that I’m going to live with Professor Snape.” Hermione’s eyebrows flew up. After a moment, her face softened.</p><p>              “How did that happen?” she asked.</p><p>              “Well, it turns out that he was practically my Mum’s brother, so she made him my godfather, but she didn’t get the chance to tell him before she died, so he didn’t know until a few months ago. Also, he thought that I had been with some relative of my Dad’s all this time, not Aunt Petunia, so when he found out that I was living with her, he got worried. And then when I asked who I was going to live with if he didn’t want me to stay with the Dursleys, he said that I could live with him,” Harry explained, a tiny smile appearing on his face. Hermione leaned forward.</p><p>              “Well, do you think that Professor Snape will be a good guardian?” she asked. Harry thought for a second.</p><p>              “Yeah, I think so. I just don’t know if I can return the favor,” he admitted. Hermione scooted her chair around the table so it was next to his and wrapped her arms around him.</p><p>              “Harry, listen to me, sweetheart. You are one of the best people I know. You are incredibly kind, extremely intelligent, and an absolutely fantastic friend. I am one hundred and fifty percent certain that Professor Snape will pat himself on the back every single day for taking you in for the rest of his life. Also, for what it’s worth, I do think this is a really good idea. You need a real parent, and I think that Professor Snape could be that for you. Plus, your Mum obviously adored him, and from what I’ve heard, she was pretty smart, so I think you can trust her opinion.” Harry smiled at his best friend.</p><p>              “You know, you’re totally right. What would we do without you, Hermione?” he wondered.</p><p>              “Honestly, you probably would have died in First Year,” she said smugly.</p><p>              “Fair enough,” Harry acquiesced.</p><p>              “Come on, let’s go find Ron and fill him in!” Hermione said cheerfully, already on her way out the door. Harry followed her.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Severus</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>              As Harry and Hermione raced to Gryffindor Tower, Severus was seated in his office chair as he looked over the Ministry flier on taking custody of children yet again. As a possible guardian listed in the will, as well as a distinguished Hogwarts Professor, he did not need to jump through all of the various hoops to prove that he was a fit guardian, but there was still far too much paperwork and bureaucracy for his taste. He had also realized that Harry should have a hand in many of the decisions, such as whether to keep his last name.</p><p>              “Is this what you would have wanted, Lily?” Severus wondered aloud. In the beginning, he had watched over the boy for her, but as the years had passed, he had grown to genuinely care for Harry in his own right. The boy was clever, kind, and fought passionately for what he believed in. He was shaping up to be the embodiment of the best aspects of Gryffindor House, as Lily was, with none or very little of the recklessness and arrogance that Potter had displayed in his youth, although Severus did suspect that the latter was due in large part to the influence of Hermione Granger.</p><p>              Shaking himself out of his reverie, Severus scrawled out an invitation for dinner in his quarters the next day and stepped out of his office in search of a messenger. He stopped Gemma Farley, a Sixth Year Prefect, as she exited the Common Room.</p><p>              “Hello, Professor!” she said cheerfully.</p><p>              “Good evening, Miss Farley. Would you take this to Mr. Potter, please? If you see Miss Granger or any of the Weasleys first, you may deliver it to them with the same instructions.”</p><p>              “No problem!”</p><p>              “Thank you. Five points to Slytherin for your trouble.” She grinned at him and dashed away. Severus had to suppress a smile. Clever and determined, the energetic girl was one of his favorite students, though talents lay more in Transfiguration than Potions. He made a mental note to tell Minerva to recommend her for a Transfiguration Mastery apprenticeship and swept back into his office, picked up a quill, dipped it into his finest Slytherin-green ink and began to write to the one person who could help him prepare to become a parent.</p><p>Soon, Severus was finished with his letter to his other dearest friend, signing it with a flourish. He tied it to the waiting leg of his stately screech owl, Lula.</p><p>              “Take this as quickly as possible to Malfoy Manor, please,” he told her, opening a window. She gave him a gentle peck on the ear and flew off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've always thought that Hermione would be the type to call the people she really cares about a million different pet names. What about y'all? Also, who in Malfoy Manor do y'all think Severus is writing to?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Not an Update!</h2></a>
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    <p>My dear readers,<br/>Hello! I'm so sorry, but this is not an update. I just wanted to let you guys know that I WILL be working on this story as soon as possible, but it will be on hiatus for a while. I have a lot going on in my life right now and I'm working through a pretty rough depressive episode, and I really don't have enough of myself to be able to write at the moment. I'll delete this chapter as soon as I post a new one, FYI. Thank all of you so very much for the incredible, amazing reception to this story, and I hope that I can continue it soon. Once again, this is NOT an abandonment, just a pause. I really love this story, and I will keep it going.<br/>Yours in fandom, smiles, and strife,<br/>The Sarcastic Witch</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please, please, please let me know what you think! I adore comments and kudos and they motivate me to keep writing! Whether you love it or hate it, I want to hear it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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